Londonist has its own take on the Chelsea Barracks affair, wondering if it's Lord Rogers rather than Prince Charles who is constitutionally threatened by the Qatari royal family's decision to abandon the great architect's modernist blueprint for redeveloping the vast, prime site in Belgravia. It's appointed the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment instead, hence the controversy over the influence of The Heir over his fellow royals.

But should Charles take all the credit for holding back the barbarian tide of glass and steel? Not really. Local residents too have been up in arms. And let it be a matter of record that Boris's super busy deputy for policing Kit Malthouse - an man whose expenses claims since his election last year I understand to total less than £33 - issued a press release welcoming the Qataris' change of heart. He said:

What a relief! An act of large-scale vandalism has been averted. London should be grateful to the Qataris for their wisdom in turning away from yet another glass and steel disaster. It is my fervent hope that the developers will now work on a proposal that enhances and embraces Chelsea and the Royal Hospital.

This decision should mark a turning point in development in the capital. No more concrete, no more glass and steel. Brick and stone and slate must be the way forward, so that in 100 years time Londoners will still recognise their own city.

It is perfectly possible for modern architecture to embrace ancient materials and proportions without being pastiche. We hope that the developers will find a new architect who has the skills to produce something truly beautiful that will form part of London's third world heritage site in years to come.

It ends:

I shall be raising these issues with the Mayor of London.

That's not just showing off, you know: Boris is one of Kit's personal friends. And in case you were suspecting that the Mayor's industrious and parsimonious deputy is jumping on some royal bandwagon, think again. He's been complaining about Rogers's plans for the Barracks for months. "There's no attempt to create a neighbourhood," he told the Telegraph last July.